Bill to kill Sakonnet River Bridge toll will face committee

The Senate Finance Committee will meet today to consider a bill to eliminate tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge.

Kevin P. O'Connor Herald News Staff Reporter @HNKPO

PROVIDENCE — The Senate Finance Committee will meet today to consider a bill to eliminate tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge.

Sen. Louis DiPalma, who represents Tiverton, introduced the bill in the Senate with Sen. Christopher Ottiano. Rep. John G. Edwards introduced a similar bill in the House.

The bill would establish a new way to finance maintenance of the state’s bridges and roads. It would also transfer ownership of the Sakonnet River Bridge and the Mount Hope Bridge to the state Department of Transportation, eliminating the possibility of tolls on those spans.

The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority currently has control of those bridges. That organization proposed tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge of up to $5.25 for out of state cars without an E-ZPass transponder.

The current toll on the Sakonnet River Bridge is 10 cents.

The plan is for the Senate to vote on the measure and then pass it to the House, legislators said.

“The House will include our portion in our budget,” Edwards said. “My sense is that we will see this bill in a couple of weeks. It will start rolling now.”

The General Assembly generally passes its budget in mid to late June. Changes in financing for the RIDOT will be part of the budget this year, Edwards said.